BY BRITTANY DANIELLE for WEEKLY VOLCANO 2/6/26 |
When it comes to artists, there are those who speak their heart and share their perspective, and there are those who try their best to remain palatable and avoid rocking any boats. Zack Medlin is the former.
This indie singer-songwriter has always been an artist who challenges your perspective, who is honest about the human experience, and who understands the power that the artist platform gives him. He has no intention of wasting his gift. Medlin writes with intention, with honest perspective, and navigates subject matter that many would shy away from.
My first experience with Zack Medlin’s music was in 2023. He was playing a songwriter spotlight in Tacoma, and he caught me with his song “American Dream,” which was not yet released. His musical style is one that feels familiar, as if you’ve known him for years, and his lyrics are clear and biting. It’s easy to stay and listen because there’s something about him that makes you feel seen, understood, and not alone.
From his bio: “Zack Medlin is a songwriter living through, and documenting, the collapse of American society. Releasing his debut EP, American Dream, in August of 2023, he has since been tying the sounds of collapse with the gripping reality of personal loss and acceptance of his own mortality. An ultramodern apocalyptic folk-music approach to a storied musical tradition. American Dream was a five-song story of leaving evangelical Christianity, and the personal and social repercussions that abounded after.”
In every performance I’ve seen, Medlin takes the time to share his experience, take down the fourth wall that can separate a performer from the audience, and challenge the audience to pay attention, care about community, get involved, and read. I was absolutely obsessed with his unapologetic push for people to get uncomfortable while using extreme love for his fellow human.
Medlin has been all around the Pierce and Thurston County lines, bringing his perspective to different rooms. He is known to hold court and bring people into the story wherever they are in their journey. His presence is one of love, care, healing, community, and challenge. He knows what we face as humans in America and as independent artists trying to make a difference. He delivers his messages while holding your hand and pushing you out of your comfort zone at the same time.
“Medlin released Voice Memos in 2024, a collection of songs entirely recorded from the eponymous iPhone application, as well as a call back to his first single, Voice Memos. Now, Zack has returned with three singles, Phone Book, Back Yard Birds, and IYKYK, from his upcoming debut album. The songs tie together experiences of loss, relational turmoil, and a general sense of ungroundedness that seems to define what it’s like to be an artist, and a human, in the modern era,” states his bio.
This month, Medlin released “IYKYK” from his upcoming debut album. This is the last of the three singles he is releasing before the album comes out.
When asked about the song, he said, “IYKYK is, in all parts, a lament to bring back simpler times. The story is told in the swirling of guitars and drums and bass and singing at the top of my lungs, like we used to in the drummer’s garage. It is the pang of nostalgia followed by the frustration, disappointment, or even anger that even if you could go back, no one would be there with you. However, we can hide little clues for ourselves in the present, ones that an old friend or two might even pick up on. If you know, you know.”
Upon listening to this latest release, it’s clear that Medlin understands the human and artist experience. We all feel lost at sea more times than we would like to admit. It’s possible that growing up feels like the biggest scam someone sold to us. As we move forward in our lives, we long for times when things seemed easier, when parents were responsible for bills, when the hardest thing we had to do was that one math test, when we found joy in something that now seems dull.
Life is a constant journey of learning and loss. If you are still living, there’s no way around it, even if you try to bury yourself in your phone, hide away in your house, or buy all the things you think are going to change how you feel about yourself. Life keeps going with or without you.
Medlin understands the longing for simpler times. He also understands that there is no going back, and that sometimes you have to dig really deep to find the courage to move forward again.
If you are someone who is struggling with words to describe your loss of identity, struggles with moving on from religious indoctrination, or has no words to describe what you are seeing or feeling with the American experience, Zack Medlin has the words for you. I have laid on the floor listening to his music on repeat when I’m at a loss. This year, Medlin will give us more words to help us describe the existence of being human.
“IYKYK” is out today. Check out the rest of Zack Medlin on streaming platforms. His Instagram is @zacktmedlin.
